Judge — September 17, 1927 — page 13: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page presents a satirical artwork caption. The image shows two figures wearing animal masks—one appearing ape-like—in an intimate pose. The caption credits it as "Portrait of a Lady Playing a Harp" by Norman Anthony, claiming it's a famous painting discovered by Sir William Worpen hanging in the Louvre. The joke operates on multiple levels: The editor's note provides the punchline—a deliberate misreading of the caption to suggest Sir William Worpen (rather than the painting) was hanging in the Louvre, implying he was executed or hanged there. Additionally, the crude animal-masked figures mockingly juxtapose crude zoological imagery with high-art pretension, satirizing art world pomposity and false attribution claims. The humor targets both art establishment vanity and the absurdity of passing off crude work as masterpieces.